New VA Study Finds 20 Veterans Commit Suicide Each Day,,,

This story was originally published July 7, 2016, at 6:03 a.m. EST. It has since been updated.

Roughly 20 veterans a day commit suicide nationwide, according to new data from the Department of Veterans Affairs — a figure that dispels the often quoted, but problematic, “22 a day” estimate yet solidifies the disturbing mental health crisis the number implied.

In 2014, the latest year available, more than 7,400 veterans took their own lives, accounting for 18 percent of all suicides in America. Veterans make up less than 9 percent of the U.S. population.

About 70 percent of veterans who took their own lives were not regular users of VA services.

The new data, being released publicly today, is the most comprehensive suicide study ever conducted by the department.